Mahsud Welfare Association: Day dream or reality?

As we know that Mahsud Welfare Association is an association of retired civil and military officers who aims to bring positive changes in the life of Mahsud, Burki and Pir students. They initiated the forum on the tenets that they will jointly take actions for those deprived segment of Mahsud society who has nothing to pay and want to get them educated and those who have nothing to take part in the race of getting education.

Up to this part of the association it is remarkable. We being Mahsud students appreciate this mind set and would love to do at least something for Mahsud fellows. This is the theoretical part of this association. The practice part is something else.

During the last two years, we saw nothing positive done by this association. None of the step taken by this association was result oriented during this time period. We saw nothing except the award shows and photoshoots. Although they gave makeup scholarships to a selected segment of Mehsood students but these are not enough to help them completely in getting education and they are still relying on their personal level to get them educated.

We saw nothing except the award shows and photoshoots

Moreover the test conducted by this association is via NTS. The credibility and role of this testing body needs not to mention here. The test is so difficult that at least those deprived students who completed their education in government schools will not be able to clear the test. Even as we know that the displaced students were not given admissions in host communities schools.

If the members of this association think that they will only facilitate those students who will fulfill the required merit, they are kindly informed here that there are dozens of scholarships on national level is available now to those students who are qualified on merit. So kindly pay attention towards those who have no base in their schooling system and who want to get further education because it is their basic right. Otherwise this association will nothing but will called cosmetic association or it will be called a window shopping for the deprived students of Mehsood community.

It is my suggestion to the concerned authority that proper arrangement should be made in this regard. It is suggested that specific criteria should be set for every year. For example how many students from matric to M.Phil will be granted with scholarships during this year? What will be the merit criteria for these grants? Either high grades will be the criteria or being a needy student? Because recently scholarship awarded students majority were from Cadet School and colleges. And it’s a bitter reality that only those sector of our society can admit their children, (in such institutions) who are financially sound because they pay a huge money every year (cadet colleges prospectus are evident of this).

The association needs a transparent system and to pay attention to the students having no base in their schooling system.

So giving scholarship, awards and laptop to these brilliant students will be a grave sin with those students who are in government school, have no such facilities and opportunities. So evaluate the results that whether the outcome is according to the desired results or not.

It is further suggested that they should upload the whole process including the names of awardee students on their official websites. So that the process could become more transparent. This will boost the morale of students and confidence of all those who want to help the association by granting financial aid. They should also have a check and balance on those staff (teachers) of those areas which are opened for returnee and people are returned. They should bring in notice of the concern authorities about those Mahsud teaching faculty who are not on duty but receiving their salaries. This can be do with the help or Education authorities and government. All should be taken on board. Which ultimately benefits the students.